Ignoring God’s Will

What happens when we ignore God’s will?

We see over and over again in Scripture what happens when we ignore God’s will. When we place our own desires or human reasoning above divine instruction.

This act of disobedience, can lead to both earthly and eternal negative consequences. Matthew 7:2 tells us, “…For whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged, and whatever measure you measure it will be measured to you.”

God is not the cause of sin, it is the rejection of His will. In essence sin is understood as a conscious rebellion against God‘s authority and a substitution of our own will for His. This can manifest as willful disobedience, stubbornness, and pride.

The Bible provides numerous examples of ignoring God’s will with catastrophic results:

• Adam and Eve: Their disobedience in Eden brought sin and spiritual death into the world (Genesis 3).
• The Israelites in the wilderness: Their refusal to trust God’s promises resulted in 40 years of wandering instead of entering the promised land (Numbers 14).

• Jeremiah’s Warnings: The people’s refusal to heed God‘s warnings, resulted in Judah’s downfall (Jeremiah).

Ignoring God’s will can lead to spiritual regression, a hardened heart, and a lack of peace and purpose.

When we ignore God’s will our lives can be miserable, because of loss of blessings, hardened hearts, and judgment, but there are also eternal consequences. The New Testament teaching warns of eternal separation from God for those who persist in ignoring His will.

Jesus’s parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7 emphasizes the ruin that awaits those who hear His words but do not act on them.